Central Michigan University Athletics
Men's Track Prepares For Drake Relays
4/22/2002 12:00:00 AM | MTF
April 22, 2002
THE TEAM?The Central Michigan University men's track team competes at the Drake Relays in Des Moines, Iowa on April 25-27.
THE COACHING STAFF?The CMU men's track and field program is guided by head coach Jim Knapp, assistant coach Craig Fuller and strength and conditioning/jumps coach Greg Halberg. Knapp, who is in his 17th season, led the Chippewas to a second-place finish at the 2001 indoor MAC meet and a fourth-place outdoor finish. Since 1986, he has coached 43 individual MAC champions and six All-Americans including Greg Richardson in 1999 and 2000 and Jeff DeLong in 2001. Fuller, who also serves as the Chippewas' head cross country coach, led Central to the MAC cross country championship in 1999. He has helped five CMU athletes to All-American status including Richie Brinker (1997-98) and Ryan Watson (1998). Halberg is in his third season with the Chippewas.
WMU QUADRANGULAR RESULTS -- The Central Michigan University men's track team finished second at the WMU Quadrangular with 152.5 points on April 20.
Western Michigan won the event with 263 points. Bowling Green finished third (105.5) and Michigan State finished fourth (83).
Leading the Chippewas with first-place finishes were: senior Ian Searcy (Canton/Plymouth Salem) in the 800m (1:51.12) and freshman Don Wilkins (Trenton) in the 5000m (14:43.82). The 4x400m relay team captured a first-place finish with the time of 3:12.73. The team consisted of sophomore Derold Sligh (Saginaw/Heritage), junior Dana Thomas (East Lansing), freshman Adam Lyon (Mesick) and Searcy.
Scoring points for the CMU included: senior Ronnie Zatkoff (Clinton Township/Chippewa Valley), second in the high jump (6-6), freshman Mike Sidlauskas (Sparta), second in the discus and hammer throw with tosses of 154-1 and 168-9, respectively. Sligh finished third in the 200m with the time of 22.15 and freshman Soji Jibowu (Saginaw/Heritage), third in the 400m (48.02).
KNAPP ON THE WMU QUADRANGULAR -- "The weekend was quite disappointing. We were short-handed and didn't perform well. We are young and inexperienced, so our performance will go up and down like that."
KNAPP ON THE WHAT'S COMING-- "The Drake Relays are a qualifying meet. The runners will do their primary events. The Central Collegiates are coming up and we are getting ready for that."
CMU's lone home meet is slated for May 4 when it hosts the Central Collegiates.
